Forest Story - Chapter 5

Instructions

A flash of light blinds me as the compass suddenly goes out, returning to its normal appearance. Instantly, I am bombarded by sound. The rustling of leaves, crinkle of grass beneath my feet, and birdsong fill my ears, leaving me reeling. The quick shift makes my head ache, dull and throbbing pressure behind my eyes. My callused fingertips scratch against my forehead as I attempt - unsuccessfully - to rub the pain away. And then I hear it, hear them. Sounds that switch from whistles to something like the dainty ringing of bells to a high-pitched buzz, ever shifting, ever changing noises. I let out a small breath, closing my eyes to welcome back the presence of the noises, my noises. 'Hello again,' I think to them, the corners of my lips curling upwards. My smile is gone a moment later as the noises unexpectedly condense into a sharp keening sound, stabbing at the inside of my skull. “Agh-” I gasp, then suddenly the noises are back to normal. I relax slowly, tension draining away as the moment passes. “What was that?” The noises have never done that before, never shifted from something beautiful into something cruel, something painful. Of course, the noises have been acting awfully strange as of late, the forest seeming to affect them somehow. Perhaps it was simply a fluke, a… a mistake of sorts, as my mind adjusted to the return of the noises. 'That must be it,' I convince myself. Temporarily satisfied with the explanation, I look around. Today - well, yesterday, considering I’ve been hiking all night - is the first time I’ve been in any forest, and I have never seen such beautiful foliage anywhere but textbooks. The colors of ink don’t do it justice, not the vibrance of the leaves, not the crispness of the air. Taking a deep breath, I walk forwards as a light breeze blows wisps of hair across my face. As always, the noises are calling me somewhere deeper into the woods. As I step over the carpet of leaf litter, I marvel once again at the quality of the air. The oxygen seems so much cleaner here, making me almost lightheaded. And then the world is tilting and my side is stinging and my cheek is damp and my fingers are so, so cold against my temples and my head is on fire. Something like knives to skin and hands on the stove sears its way through my skull. Everything is blurry, I can’t see, I can’t see, spots cover my vision as I try to drag myself forward, my body refusing to move and I can’t I can’t I CAN’T THE PAIN PLEASE STOP PLEASE- The agony subsides, and I am left crumpled on the ground with tears streaming down my face and twigs in my hair. A sob wracks my body as I push myself into a seated position, hugging my knees as I rock back and forth. Hiccups escape my throat as I try to get myself to breathe. ‘Why. Why, why, why, what, what just happened, why did it do that. You’re safe. You’re safe I swear. I hope. Please don’t do that again. Breathe. Breathe, breathe, come on breathe, please. Please breathe, we’re okay, it’s okay.’ My thoughts are spinning as I attempt to regain control of my body, but then the pain is back and I can’t breathe and the sky has never looked so blue and then everything is black.